Improved brick-machine



inted Cituet stent dtililiw.

`LIAM A. ELLIs, of Philadelphia, in the county of Phil- `sists, mainly, in attaching to a revolving hopper, a

the bottom of the hopper.

THoMAs ELLIS AND WILLIAM A. ELLIS, or PHILADELPHIA, :PENNSYL- VANIA.

Letters Patent No. 99,658,

dated February 8, 1870.

mraovhn BRICEMACHINE.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS ELLIs and WIL- adelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Revolving Brick- Maehines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciiication, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon. K

Figure l, of the drawings, is a side view of our involition.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the same.`

Figure 3 is a top view.

Our invent-ion relates to brick-machines, and connumber of moulds, in such a manner that the clay from the hopper is thrown into the moulds, and the bricks pressed and discharged continuously, the number being unlimited, so long as the revolving.reservoir is supplied.

The letter A, of the drawings, designates the revolving hopper, usually made of v. cast-iron, and supported by the gudgeon a, provided with a socket to lit the-'top of the upright shaft B, around which it revolves. Y

The shaft has also 4a bearing in the -bottom of the hopper, which rests on a coli-ar, o, secured to the shaft.

W ithin the hopper are the knives I) D, whereby the clay is stirred and mixed. These knives are secured to collars keyed on the shaft B, and are therefore stationary.

Sometimes, I design to give the kn'ives a motion of rotation in a contrary direction to the movement of the hopper.

E ,designates a metal toe, which is keyed to the shaft, at the bottom of the hopper, and extends out, in a curved direction, until its. extremity nearly touches the inner cylindrical surface thereof.

The object of this curved toe is to force the clay through the channels h h, into the interior of the moulds H H. 'lhe sides of these moulds are cast with the hopper, or else securely fastened thereto.

` The vbottoms K K, formed of brass, orother suita ble metal, are mounted'on wheels, and provided with arms It It, whereby they are pivoted to the legs l Z, on

A circular track, L, is arranged for these wheels. rIhis track is depressed or inclined on the discharging-side of the machine, so that the bottoms ofthe moulds will fall down just before they arrive in posi` tion for discharging the bricks, over the'endless belt M, or other receptacle.

The mould H, after the bottom 'K has fallen out, is discharged of its contents by the action of the plunger N, which also forms the top of the mould.

the open top ofthe hopper, and is secured to the tops of the standards V V.

Power may be applied by means of gearing, or, shown in the drawing, by means of the lever P, attached to the gudgeon of the revolving hopper.

A circular ledge, m, is cast about the lower portion of the revolving hopper, and is arranged with agroove in its periphery, thus constituting a pulley, over which passes a cord or chain, c, whereby motion is communicated to an endless belt, y.

The operation of our machine is as follows:

The Iuould, having been discharged ot" its load, passes around with the hopper. At the same time, its bottom, K, is elevated into place bythe rise ofthe track L, and its top, N, raised by the passage of its roller, c', over the lower cam z. The mould is now ready to receive the clay, which, asv the hopper revolves, is pressed into it hy the 'curved toe E. The upper cam z now gradually inclines downward, and, as the hopper turns, presses upon the roller c', forcing the plunger down into the mould, and compresses the brick therein, forcing the moisture out of the clay into the pores of the plunger, which is formed of wood, and arranged so that the fibres thereof are cut across, to form the top of the mould.

'Ihe pressure is maintained. luponV the brick until the bottom of the mould falls, on arriving at the descent in its track. The brick does not fall out, being held up by the sides of its mould, until it arrives over the endless belt, whcn it is pushed out by the plunger, in passing under the cam a.

On account ofthe construction 'of the wooden plunger, already described, the brick will not adherethereto, but, when liberated from the sides of the mould, is discharged at once from the face of the plunger by the expansion of the air in its pores;

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, isg The brick-machine, herein described, having the revolving hopper A, arranged to feed the moulds H H, attached thereto, as specified.

In testimony that We claim the above, we have hereunto subscribed our names, in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS ELLIS.` NVM. A. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES SENIX, JOHN C. BRoUs. 

